2018 RP Voter Turnout 9th Lowest In County

Published: November 23, 2018 @ 6:00 PM EST

With the election results being certified last Friday, the county released numbers about those who voted earlier this month. Union County data showed that out of the 8,578 registered voters in Roselle Park, 4,835 were shown to have cast a ballot on election day this year – about 56%.

In relation to the other 20 municipalities in Union County, Roselle Park ranked 13th out of 21 – with only Elizabeth, Hillside, Kenilworth, Linden, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle, and Winfield having a lower percentage of those registered to vote actually having done so this year.

Municipality

RegisteredVoters

BallotsCast

Turnout(%)

Mountainside

5,360

3,630

67.7%

Berkely Heights

9,976

6,703

67.2%

Cranford

17,742

11,900

67.1%

Fanwood

5,733

3,818

66.6%

Garwood

3,112

2,062

66.3%

New Providence

9,206

6,054

65.8%

Summit

15,767

10,302

65.3%

Westfield

23,217

15,035

64.8%

Scotch Plains

18,087

11,409

63.1%

Springfield

12,113

7,385

61.0%

Clark

11,665

7,002

60.0%

Union Township

37,665

21,291

56.5%

Roselle Park

8,578

4,835

56.4%

Winfield

1,066

598

56.1%

Kenilworth

5,475

2,987

54.6%

Rahway

18,311

9,756

53.3%

Hillside

14,094

7,466

53.0%

Roselle

13,702

7,132

52.1%

Linden

25,930

13,436

51.8%

Plainfield

23,429

12,103

51.7%

Elizabeth

57,879

23,830

41.2%

Only 4% of those who voted did not vote for mayor. In total there were 4,647 voters who cast ballots for the head of the borough which elected Joseph Signorello III by 54% of the mayoral votes.

Candidate

Votes

%

Joseph Signorello III

2,529

54.42%

William Fahoury

1,261

27.14%

Carl Hokanson

852

18.33%

Personal Choice

5

0.11%

TOTAL

4,647

100%

In the second ward, 64% of 1,802 eligible voters cast ballots for their ward representative with incumbent Joseph Petrosky getting 3 out of every 5 votes to have him retain his position. 10% of people who voted did not choose a ward council representative.

Candidate

Votes

%

Joseph Petrosky

644

61.10%

Richard Graves

407

38.61%

Personal Choice

3

0.29%

TOTAL

1,054

100%

The fifth ward had a lower percentage turnout with only 53% of the 1,886 voters voting for their 5th ward council representative. Newcomer Robert Mathieu was elected to the position by a ratio of 3 to 2.

Candidate

Votes

%

Robert Mathieu

562

61.7%

Thomas 'Thos' Shipley

349

38.3%

Personal Choice

0

0.0%

TOTAL

911

100%

Breaking down the wards, the majority of registered voters are in the 5th ward but they had the second lowest turnout. The second ward had the second largest number of registered voters (1,802) and the highest turnout (1,160).

Ward

RegisteredVoters

BallotsCast

Turnout(%)

1st Ward

1,677

951

56.7%

2nd Ward

1,802

1,160

64.4%

3rd Ward

1,628

928

57.0%

4th Ward

1,585

792

50.0%

5th Ward

1,886

1,004

53.2%

TOTAL

8,578

4,835

56.4%

Even with the lower turnout than surrounding communities, historical data shows that this year was the 5th highest turnout in a non-presidential election year in the last 35 years* and the highest turnout – again for a non-presidential election year – since 1995.

Year

RegisteredVoters

BallotsCast

Turnout(%)

1993

6,756

4,594

68.0%

1989

6,708

4,494

67.0%

1994

7,015

4,630

66.0%

1990

6,596

4,261

64.6%

2018

8,578

4,829

56.3%

1985

7,310

4,094

56.0%

1987

6,491

3,596

55.4%

1997

7,620

4,214

55.3%

2006

7,482

4,066

54.3%

1983

7,351

3,918

53.3%

1986

7,011

3,737

53.3%

2005

7,338

3,682

50.2%

2002

7,341

3,680

50.1%

1991

6,575

3,222

49.0%

1998

7,685

3,597

46.8%

2010

7,792

3,542

45.5%

2009

7,711

3,455

44.8%

2014

7,881

3,277

41.6%

2017

8,344

3,249

38.9%

2013

7,676

2,923

38.1%

1999

7,281

2,577

35.4%

1995

6,923

2,215

32.0%

2007

7,140

2,240

31.4%

2003

7,373

1,966

26.7%

2011

7,532

1,756

23.3%

2015

7,877

1,671

21.2%

For all years since 1983*, the highest voter turnout in the borough was the 1992 election, at 85%.

Year

RegisteredVoters

BallotsCoast

Turnout(%)

1992

7,024

5,970

85.0%

1988

6,932

5,663

81.7%

1984

7,720

6,292

81.5%

2008

7,953

5,759

72.4%

2004

7,733

5,443

70.4%

1996

7,417

5,110

68.9%

2016

8,370

5,750

68.7%

1993

6,756

4,594

68.0%

2000

7,668

5,209

67.9%

1989

6,708

4,494

67.0%

1994

7,015

4,630

66.0%

2012

7,841

5,117

65.3%

1990

6,596

4,261

64.6%

2018

8,578

4,829

56.3%

1985

7,310

4,094

56.0%

1987

6,491

3,596

55.4%

1997

7,620

4,214

55.3%

2006

7,482

4,066

54.3%

1983

7,351

3,918

53.3%

1986

7,011

3,737

53.3%

2005

7,338

3,682

50.2%

2002

7,341

3,680

50.1%

1991

6,575

3,222

49.0%

1998

7,685

3,597

46.8%

2010

7,792

3,542

45.5%

2009

7,711

3,455

44.8%

2014

7,881

3,277

41.6%

2017

8,344

3,249

38.9%

2013

7,676

2,923

38.1%

1999

7,281

2,577

35.4%

1995

6,923

2,215

32.0%

2007

7,140

2,240

31.4%

2003

7,373

1,966

26.7%

2011

7,532

1,756

23.3%

2015

7,877

1,671

21.2%

*Voter data was not available for 2001

Maybe someday, more than a little over one out of every two voters will take five minutes to have a hand in deciding who will represent them in their ward and in their borough. That is not too much to hope for, especially in a one-square-mile town.